Where in the Capital Region could I train for such an event? The obstacle I'm particularly worried about is the one where I have to climb over a wall. Other obstacles include jumping over fire and crawling under barbed wire.

Any help would be much appreciated!

The "jumping over fire and crawling under barbed wire" bit made us curious about what exactly Julie had gotten herself into. The Warrior Dash site bills the race as "the ultimate event for thrill-seeking athletes," where "where 13 obstacles from hell await this 3.23 mile course." Also: the race is "more about mental toughness than being in great shape." And it looks like people wear costumes.

The event has been held in other parts of country in years past -- this is the first time in the Northeast. It's September 18 and 19. Registration is $65 and closes on September 7.

Comments

Wow, people will actually pay $65 to do the stuff we did for free in the Army?

Julie, scaling a wall is easy. If you can't jump it on the run, just run up to it, jump and throw one leg over the top. Once you have one leg over the top edge it is really easy to pull the rest of your body over.

Worst case, if you really can't make it over, is to team up with someone. Boost them over and then they pull you over from the top.

Crawling under barbed wire is easy too, just stay low ! ;) It is faster to go very slowly and hug the ground than it is to try to go fast on your elbows and knees, get snagged, and have to untangle yourself. Dirt is your friend.

Julie, you're worried about jumping a wall when FIRE and BARBED WIRE are involved? I don't ever wanna make you angry!

It does sound very familiar to basic training. In which case, as long as you're in running shape and have a badass attitude and you'll be all set. The wall looks like wooden planks, so you'll scale it no problem as long as you've got some momentum going.

I just signed up for this race too. I've never done any obstacle course races before, but I run a lot, so my suggestion would be just to make sure you're fit enough to run a race. Maybe work on some weight training so you get your strength up to get through the obscales. Also work some hills into your running routine, since I heard the race is up a mountain...

My goal is just to have fun. But I'm kind of scared, too! It should be an amazing experience.

My suggestion would be to find a playground, and just start climbing on the equipment. Maybe one of those wooden-style playgrounds would have a wall you could climb over... or some might have a jungle gym!

I ran the Dallas race in May, and here are my tips for a Warrior Dash Training Session:

1. Put on a viking helmet (any kind will do)
2. Chug a beer
3. Sprint up a hill
4. Roll through a mud puddle
5. Crawl back down the hill
6. Repeat as necessary

In all seriousness though, it's a fun race. At the time I was running maybe three miles, once a week, and I was able to complete the course in around 30 minutes (it wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible either). Good luck, and have fun!

When I was training to get into the Air Force Academy I had the most problems with pullups. The way I worked it out was by getting my head above the bar even if I had to stand on something, then I lowered myself as slowly as possible. I did this many times a day (I was in H.S. so I had the time.) After a week I was doing 10 pullups. After a month I could do 50 straight.

Say Something!

We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.

name:

email address: (won't be displayed)

web site:

comment:

The Scoop

Ever wish you had a smart, savvy friend with the inside line on what's happening around the Capital Region? You know, the kind of stuff that makes your life just a little bit better? Yeah, we do, too. That's why we created All Over Albany. Find out more.

Recent Comments

When I used to bus-commute in another city, there was a similar smart card system and it was AWESOME. On/Off time was significantly decreased, so buses were even a little more timely. I hope this pilot goes smoothly because the faster this gets implemented, the better for bus riders. This is good news!